Microneedling during pregnancy – what should you keep in mind?

Can you have microneedling while pregnant? The short answer is that it is usually recommended to wait until after pregnancy for cosmetic microneedling.

This is mainly because there is insufficient research on microneedling specifically during pregnancy. There is therefore not enough evidence to determine the treatment’s safety for pregnant women, and since microneedling is normally an elective cosmetic treatment, there is rarely any reason to take an uncertain risk.

Can you have microneedling while pregnant?

Microneedling should generally be postponed during pregnancy. The American FDA lists pregnancy and breastfeeding among the situations where a microneedling treatment may be inappropriate, and medical reviews recommend that elective cosmetic treatments wait until after pregnancy.

This does not mean that research has shown that regular microneedling causes birth defects. Rather, the problem is that there are not enough studies in pregnant women to establish safety.

Because the treatment is not medically necessary, the precautionary principle is therefore to wait.

Why is microneedling not recommended during pregnancy?

There are several reasons why the recommendation is cautious.

1. Safety has not been sufficiently studied

Pregnant women are rarely included in clinical studies of cosmetic treatments. Therefore, there is limited data on how microneedling affects pregnant women and whether there are any specific risks to the pregnancy.

When a treatment is elective and safety data is lacking, it is common practice in dermatology to postpone the treatment until the pregnancy is over.

2. Microneedling affects the skin barrier

During microneedling, thin needles create many small punctures in the skin. Common temporary reactions after treatment may include redness, swelling, tenderness, and irritation.

There are also less common risks such as infection, pigmentation changes, and skin reactions. Therefore, proper hygiene, correct treatment technique, and appropriate aftercare are important even for people who are not pregnant.

Read more in our guide on risks of microneedling.

3. Products used together with the treatment must also be assessed

Microneedling is sometimes done together with serums, skincare, or numbing products. This means that you not only need to assess the needle treatment itself, but also the products used before, during, and after the treatment.

An ingredient used in regular skincare is not automatically suitable during microneedling, and during pregnancy, certain skincare ingredients must also be avoided or assessed separately.

You can read more about this in our guide on serum during microneedling.

Is microneedling dangerous for the fetus?

There is not enough research to say that microneedling during pregnancy is safe, but there is also no good clinical data showing that regular microneedling itself causes birth defects.

It is therefore important to distinguish between a documented risk and a lack of safety data.

The recommendation to wait is based mainly on the fact that pregnancy is a period when unnecessary cosmetic treatments should be avoided if their safety has not been properly studied.

Does it matter which trimester you are in?

There is no trimester in which cosmetic microneedling has been shown to be safely established for pregnant women.

Therefore, the recommendation is not, for example, to wait until the second or third trimester and then proceed with treatment. For an elective microneedling treatment, it is simpler and safer to postpone the treatment until the pregnancy is over.

How does the skin change during pregnancy?

Pregnancy involves major hormonal and physiological changes that can also affect the skin.

Examples of skin changes that may occur include:

• increased pigmentation,
• melasma,
• changed sensitivity,
• stretch marks,
• and changes in the skin’s blood vessels.

This also means that the skin’s appearance and needs during pregnancy are not necessarily the same as after pregnancy. Some changes may also lessen or change after childbirth.

If pigmentation is the reason you are considering treatment, you can read more in our guide on microneedling for pigmentation spots and melasma.

Can you use a dermaroller while pregnant?

The same precautionary principle applies to a dermaroller that penetrates the skin.

The fact that the tool is manual and used at home does not mean that the fundamental questions regarding pregnancy disappear. A dermaroller still creates small punctures in the skin and can cause irritation, bleeding, or infection if used incorrectly or not kept sufficiently clean.

Therefore, it is wise to also wait with dermaroller treatment that penetrates the skin until after pregnancy.

Can you use Dr. Pen while pregnant?

The same recommendation applies to microneedling with an electric pen such as Dr. Pen.

So it is not the model of the microneedling pen that is decisive. The question concerns the treatment principle itself – that needles penetrate the skin – and that safety data for cosmetic microneedling during pregnancy is limited.

A newer or more advanced microneedling pen therefore does not make the treatment more suitable during pregnancy.

What about RF microneedling during pregnancy?

RF microneedling should also be avoided during pregnancy.

This treatment differs from regular microneedling in that needles are combined with radiofrequency energy that creates controlled heat in the tissue. This makes RF microneedling a more advanced energy- and needle-based treatment.

Pregnancy-specific safety data for radiofrequency-based cosmetic treatments is limited, and elective use is therefore usually postponed during pregnancy.

Read our separate guide on the difference between RF microneedling and regular microneedling.

What happens if you have already had microneedling before you knew you were pregnant?

If you had microneedling before you knew you were pregnant, it cannot be concluded that the treatment automatically caused any harm.

There is insufficient pregnancy-specific data to quantify the risks. If you are concerned, it is therefore best to speak with a midwife or doctor and explain when the treatment was performed and which products, medications, or anesthetics may have been used together with the treatment.

It is especially important to mention any products that were applied to the skin, because the assessment then does not concern only the microneedling treatment itself.

When can you start microneedling after pregnancy?

There is no universal number of days or weeks after childbirth that suits everyone.

How soon treatment is appropriate may depend, among other things, on how you feel, how the skin has changed, and whether you are breastfeeding.

The FDA also lists breastfeeding as a situation where microneedling may be inappropriate. If you are breastfeeding, it is therefore wise to discuss the treatment with a healthcare provider or qualified practitioner and check the instructions for the equipment and products that will be used.

What can you do for your skin during pregnancy instead?

During pregnancy, it may be more appropriate to focus on a simple skincare routine instead of invasive or more advanced cosmetic treatments.

A basic routine can, for example, consist of:

• gentle cleansing,
• moisturizing,
• sun protection,
• and skincare products with ingredients that are suitable during pregnancy.

Since even skincare ingredients need to be assessed during pregnancy, you should check products you are unsure about with a midwife, doctor, or pharmacy staff.

Summary

Microneedling during pregnancy has not been sufficiently studied for safety to be established. Because it is normally an elective cosmetic treatment, it is therefore recommended to wait until the pregnancy is over.

• There is insufficient safety data for microneedling during pregnancy.
• The recommendation to wait does not mean that microneedling has been shown to cause birth defects.
• Regular microneedling, dermaroller, and electric microneedling pens should be treated with the same caution.
• RF microneedling should also be postponed during pregnancy.
• Products used together with the treatment need to be assessed separately.
• If you have already had a treatment and are concerned, you should discuss it with a midwife or doctor.

For cosmetic treatments during pregnancy, it is generally better to prioritize safety and postpone treatments that are not medically necessary.

Frequently asked questions about microneedling and pregnancy

Can you have microneedling while pregnant?

Microneedling is generally recommended to be postponed during pregnancy because there is insufficient research to establish the treatment’s safety in pregnant women.

Is microneedling dangerous for the fetus?

There is not enough data to establish safety, but there is also no good clinical evidence that regular microneedling itself causes birth defects. The recommendation to wait is based primarily on the lack of safety data and the fact that the treatment is usually cosmetic and elective.

Can you use a dermaroller while pregnant?

A dermaroller that penetrates the skin is based on the same basic principle as other microneedling. Therefore, it is wise to postpone such treatment until after pregnancy as well.

Can you use Dr. Pen during pregnancy?

Microneedling with an electric pen such as Dr. Pen should also be postponed during pregnancy. It is the treatment principle and the lack of pregnancy-specific safety data that are decisive, not which model is used.

Can you have RF microneedling when you are pregnant?

RF microneedling should be avoided during pregnancy. The treatment combines needles with radiofrequency energy, and there is insufficient pregnancy-specific safety data for elective use.

What happens if I had microneedling before I knew I was pregnant?

A previous treatment does not automatically mean that any harm has occurred. Since pregnancy-specific data are limited, you should contact a midwife or doctor if you are concerned and explain which products or medications were used in connection with the treatment.